Toy house.



Y Patented Fab.26, |901.

J. L. BAKER.

TOY HOUSE.

(Application med oct. so, 1900.)

(No Model.)

Tn: cams PETERS co., PHoTmL'ITNo.. wnsnmramn, n. c.

UNTTnp STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN LAWRENCE BAKER, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINA.

TOY HOUSE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 668,827, dated February 26, 1901.

Application filed October 30,1900.

fo a/ZZ whom t 'ln/tg concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN LAWRENCE BAKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Toy House, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to toy houses, and has forone object to provide an improved device of this character which is especially designed for use by children as a dolls house and is arranged so as to be folded or closed to contain the dolls, their dresses, and the like, and thereby form a convenient packing and storing box for containing playthings in general. It is furthermore designed to arrange the device so that a plurality of corresponding sections of different sizes may be conveniently nested for storage and transporration.

With these and' other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings,and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit orv sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a toy house constructed in accordance with the present invention and shown in its closed position. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view thereof, taken transversely through the opposite sections of the house. Fig. 3 is a view of the house opened as when in use for playing house. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View taken through a plurality of nested house-sections. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of one of the hinged connections for the house-sections.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the house comprises two duplicate sections A and B, which are hingedly connected, as at l, so as to fold flat against each other, as shown in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings. Each section is substantially rectangular in Serial No. 34,944. l\1\lo model.)

shape and comprises the corner-uprights 2,

the upper cross-bars 3, and the lower sills 4, which form the frame-section, and the frame is covered with a sheet-metal back 5 and opposite ends, secured to the frame-bars by suitable fastenings 7. As best indicated in Fig. 2, it will be seen that the front corner posts or nprights are longer than the rear corner-posts, so that the roof S inclines downwardl7 and rearwardly to imitate the pitch of a real house.

At the bottom corners of each section there are provided casters 9, whereby the house may be conveniently moved across the floor of a room. The bottom of each section is formed by a sheet of metal 10, resting upon the bottom sills 4. Thus it will be apparent that the front of each section is entirely open, and it is adjacent front posts that are hingedly connected, so that the two sections may be swung inwardly until their corresponding front posts abut, as indicated in. Figs. 1 and 2, so as to form a closed box, the sections being held in this position by means of a suitable fastening, such as a hook ll and an eye 12, carried by the ends of the respective sections and opposite the hinges.

The exterior of each section may be decoratedin any suitable manner to imitate Wood, stone, or brick and windows and doors. The interior may also be decorated to imitate carpet and wall-paper, pictures, and furniture of various kinds.

Within each section there is provided a seat or shelf 13, which extends entirely across the back thereof and is supported at each end by means of a cleat or beam 14, secured to the adjacent rear corner-post. These cleats are preferably pivoted to the posts, as indicated at 15, so that their rear ends may abut against the backs of the respective sections to support said cleats in their operative positions and also to permit of the cleats being swung upwardly and against the backs of the sections, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings. It is also preferable to have the shelves or seats removably supported upon the cleats, so as to permit of the latter being folded out of the way when it is desired to pack the dolls and other playthings within the house-sections.

When the device is to be used as a dolls 1 iently placed within a larger section.

house, the sections are opened to any desired extent, so as to expose the open fronts of the respective sections, and thus provide two independent houses, as plainly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. When the playing has been completed, the dolls and other playthings may be placed within the sections and the latter finally closed and looked, whereby the device forms a convenient packing and storing box for containing the playthings. Thus besides forming a toy house the device also embraces the advantages of a packingboX, whereby the playthings are conveniently housed and protected and are always in readiness for use, as they are collected within a single boX and are not scattered about or inisplaced.

In order that a plurality of house-sections of different sizes may be nested, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, for convenience in storage and transportation, the sections of each house are detachably hingedly connected, preferably by means of hinges having a removable pintle, asindicatedin Fig. 5 of the drawings. Also the open side orfront ofeach section islarger or higher than the back thereof, so that a smaller section may be conven- When nesting the sections, it is preferable to remove the casters thereof, so that the bottom sills of the inner section may rest flat upon the bottom of the outer section. Moreover, the thickness of each cleat 14 is less than the thickness of the adjacent corner post to which it is pivoted, and the pivot thereof is located at such a distance from the back of the section that when the cleat is folded upwardly there is a space between the cleat and the back of the section for the reception of the removable seat or shelf 13, which rests upon the bottom of the section and is held against the back by the cleats at opposite ends of the section. By this arrangement the interior of each section is entirely clear and unobstructed, so as to receive a smaller section, and the removable seats or shelves are conveniently held against displacement during transportation of the nested sections. It will of course be understood that opposite nested sections are held together by the hinges and the latch of the outermost sections, which form a box for containing the other sections and prevent separation thereof.

What is claimed isy 1. A combined toy house and packing-box, comprising opposite duplicate box-like sections representing separate houses, having their fronts only open, and their roofs pitched or inclined downwardly and rearwardly from the fronts thereof, supporting-casters for each section, a hinged connection between a pair of the adjacent vertical front edges of the sections, whereby the latter may be folded or closed with their open fronts against each other, and a detachable fastening for the opposite free edges of the sections.

2. A combined toy house and packing-box, comprising opposite duplicate sections, each having a substantially rectangular frame, a back, a bottom, opposite ends, a roof, and an open front, a hinged connection between corresponding sides of the open fronts of the sections, and a latch device for connecting the opposite free ends of the sections.

3. A combined toy house and packing-box, comprising opposite box-sections, which have open fronts, and a hinged connection for corresponding sides of the open fronts, opposite pivotally-supported cleats within each seetion and having their rear ends normally abutted against the backs of the sections, and removable seats or shelves supported upon respective cleats.

4. A toy house, comprising opposite boxseetions, having open fronts which are provided with a mutual detachable connection, opposite vertically-swin ging cleats, which are pivotally supported forwardly from the back of each section, means for supporting the cleats in a substantially horizontal position, and a removable seat or shelf supported upon the opposite cleats of each section when the device is in use as a toy, and otherwise the cleats being swung into a substantially vertical position, and the seats or shelves being placed edgewise between the cleats and the .backs of the respective sections.

5. A toy house, comprising opposite boxsections, having open fronts, means for detachably connecting the sections with their open fronts together, each section having a skeleton frame, and a covering therefor, opposite cleats pivotally connected to the respective rear corner-posts of each frame and normally assuming a substantially horizontal position, the rear ends of the cleats being abutted against the back of the adjacent section in their normal position, the pivotal supports of the cleats being spaced from theback at a distance equal at least to the thickness of each cleat, and a shelf or seat removably supported upon the opposite `cleats and eX- tending between the adjacent corner-posts only, and when the device is not in use as a toy, the cleats being swung into vertical positions, and the seats or shelves being placed edgewise between the cleats and the backs of the respective sections.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN LAVRENCE BAKER.

Witnesses:

PAUL B. BELL, PAUL B. VILLIAMs.

IOO 

